New Jersey has one of the most rigorous inspection processes in the country. In fact, MVC School Bus Inspection Unit works with Governors School Bus Task Force to inspect over 78,000 buses twice a year at over 1,300 terminals throughout the state.

The inspection is a 150-point process that checks over 180 items during each on-site inspection. This includes everything from the door buzzer to the catalytic converter in addition to driver employment records. View a sample inspection checklist.

This meticulous inspection ensures that New Jersey school buses remain in top condition. Upon the first inspection, an average of 40% of vehicles don’t pass the initial test and are given out-of-service stickers while 30% are issued 30-day rejection stickers. However, once the bus owners make the repairs and the School Bus Inspection Unit re-inspects the vehicles, an average of 91% are approved for use.

Any vehicle used to transport children to or from a school-related activity must meet these inspection requirements.

In addition to the semi-annual inspections, the New Jersey School Bus Task Force also performs monthly, unannounced inspections.

You can check the current status of a school bus by looking for a sticker on the lower left corner of the windshield. There are four different stickers that indicate the school bus' safety:

Approval–valid for six months with expiration date is printed in the center

30 day rejection–the vehicle can still transport passengers but has 30 days to repair the parts in violation

Out-of-service–the vehicle cannot transport passengers until service repairs have been completed. Another full inspection is required after 30 days

Summer camp–used in addition to the approval sticker to allow a vehicle to transport children to summer camp activities from May 15 to September 15